Ezra 4
1 Vangsawn ca rhoek loh Israel Pathen BOEIPA ham bawkim a sak te Judah neh Benjamin kah rhal rhoek loh a yaak uh.
The enemies of the people of [the tribes of] Judah and Benjamin heard that the [Israeli] people who had returned from Babylonia were rebuilding a temple for Yahweh, the God whom the Israeli people [worshiped].
2 Te phoeiah Zerubbabel taeng neh a napa boeilu rhoek taengla mop uh tih a taengah, “Nangmih neh ka sa uh mai eh. Nangmih bangla nangmih kah Pathen te ka toem uh. Te pawt akhaw kaimih loh anih taengah te hela kaimih aka khuen Assyria manghai Esarhaddon tue lamlong ni ka nawn uh coeng,” a ti uh.
So they went to Zerubbabel [the governor] and the other leaders, and said [deceptively], “We want to help [you build the temple], because we worship that same God whom you worship, and we have been offering sacrifices to him since Esarhaddon, the King of Assyria, brought us here.”
3 Tedae amih te Zerubbabel neh Jeshua long khaw, Israel kah a napa boeilu a coih rhoek long khaw, “Kaimih kah Pathen im sak ham he nangmih hut moenih kaimih hut ni. Tedae Persia manghai, manghai Cyrus loh kaimih n'uen bangla Israel Pathen BOEIPA ham te kamamih bueng loh ka sa uh eh,” a ti nah.
But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other [Israeli] leaders replied, “We will not allow you to help us build a temple for our(exc) God. We will build it (ourselves/without your help) for Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis worship, like Cyrus, the King of Persia, told us to do.”
4 Te vaengah khohmuen pilnam aka om loh Judah pilnam kut te a kha sak tih a sak ham vaengah amih te a hih khaw a hih uh.
Then the people who had been living in that land [before the Israelis returned] tried to cause the Jews to become discouraged and become afraid, and to cause them to stop building the temple.
5 Persia manghai Cyrus tue khui neh Persia manghai Darius kah ram duela Judah kah cilsuep te phae pah ham amih te olrhoep a paang thil uh.
They bribed government officials to oppose what the Israelis were doing [and prevent them from continuing to work on the temple]. They did that all during the time that Cyrus was King of Persia. They continued to do it when Darius became the King of Persia.
6 Ahasuerus ram ah khaw a ram a moecuek vaengah Judah neh Jerusalem khosa taengah toenah ca a daek uh.
During the first year that [Darius’ son] Xerxes was king, the [enemies of the Jews] wrote a note [to the king] saying that the Jews [were planning to rebel against the government].
7 Artaxerxes tue vaengah khaw Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel neh a pueipo a coih loh a daek bal. Anih kah a pueipo loh Persia manghai Artaxerxes taengla capat te Aramaih ca la a daek dongah Aramaih te koep a kong pah.
Later, when [Xerxes’ son] Artaxerxes [became the King of Persia], Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and their colleagues/companions wrote a letter to him. They wrote the letter in the Aramaic language, and it was translated [into another language that the king knew].
8 Hlangcal boei Rehum neh cadaek Shimshai loh Jerusalem kawng te manghai Artaxerxes taengah ca a daek pah bal.
Rehum, the high commissioner, and Shimshai, the provincial secretary, wrote the letter to King Artaxerxes concerning what was happening in Jerusalem.
9 Hlangcal boei Rehum, cadaek Shimshai neh Dinay hui a ngen rhoek, Tarplay boei rhoek, Persia rhoek, Babylon Erek, amih Almiy Susa,
They stated that the letter was from Rehum the high commissioner/governor and Shimshai the provincial secretary and from their associates, the judges, and other government officials, who were from Erech [city], Babylon [city], and Susa [city] in Elam [district].
10 a tloe namtu te khaw boeilen tongmang Osnapper loh a khuen coeng. Amih te Samaria khopuei neh sok paem ah a khueh coeng.
[They also wrote that they represented] the other people-groups whom [the army of] the great and glorious/famous [King] Ashurbanipal had (deported/forced to move from their homes) and taken to live in Samaria and in other cities in the province west of the Euphrates [River].
11 Manghai Artaxerxes amah taengla a pat ca kah a toeng he na tueihyoeih sok paem kah hlang taengla ha pawk coeng.
This is what they wrote in the letter: “To King Artaxerxes, From the officials who serve you who live in the province west of the Euphrates [River.]
12 Nang taeng lamloh kaimih taengla aka luei Yahudi rhoek te manghai taengah khaw mingpha la om saeh. Jerusalem khopuei la boekoek neh halang ni a khuen uh. Vongtung aka thung long khaw vongtung te a coeng, a coeng uh vaengah khoengim te a tlaeng uh.
“Your majesty, we want you to know that the Jews who came here from your territories are rebuilding this city, [Jerusalem]. These people are wicked and want to rebel against you. Now they are repairing the foundations [of the walls/buildings] and building the walls [of the city].
13 Khopuei he a thung tih vongtung a coeng atah mangmu khaw, hlang mangmu khaw, cawn khaw thoo uh mahpawh. Manghai kah mangmu khaw a vaitah ni tila manghai taengah mingpha la om pawn saeh.
“It is important for you to know that if they rebuild the city and finish building the walls, they will stop paying any kind of taxes. As a result, there will be less money in your treasury.
14 Manghai im kah lungkaehtael te ka laeh uh van lamlong tah kaimih kongah manghai kah mingthae a hmuh ham khaw a rhoeprhui moenih. Te dongah ni kam pat uh tih manghai taengah kam mingpha sak uh.
Now, because we are loyal to [IDM] you, and because we do not want you to be humiliated [IDM], we are sending this information to you.
15 Na pa rhoek kah cathut cabu nen khaw thoelh saeh lamtah cathut cabu khuiah na hmuh bitni. Khopuei he khaw boekoek khopuei, manghai neh paeng aka vaitah sak, khosuen khohnin lamloh a khui ah caemrhal aka saii, te dongah ni khopuei he a phae tila na mingpha bitni.
And, we suggest that you order/tell [your officials] to search the records that your ancestors made/wrote. [If you do that], you will find out that the people in this city have always rebelled [against the government]. You will also find out that from long ago these people have caused trouble for kings and for rulers of provinces. They have always revolted [against those who ruled them]. That is the reason that this city was destroyed [by the Babylonian army].
16 Khopuei he tung tih vongtung he coeng koinih sok paem kah khoyo hmatoeng he nang hamla om pawh tila kaimih loh manghai taengah kam ming sak.
We want you to know that if they rebuild this city and finish building its walls, you will no longer be able to control/rule [the people in] this province west of the Euphrates [River].”
17 Manghai loh hlangcal boei Rehum, cadaek Shimshai neh Samaria kah aka om a hui a ngen taengah ol a mael tih, sok paem boeih te ngaimongnah om pawn saeh.
[After] the king [read this letter, he] sent this reply to them: “To Rehum, the high commissioner, and Shimshai, the provincial secretary, and their colleagues in Samaria and in other parts of the province that is west of the [Euphrates] River: I (send you my greetings/wish that things will go well for you).
18 Kaimih taengla ca nan pat uh te kai taengah a tae tih a kong.
The letter that you sent to me was translated and read to me.
19 Kai lamloh hlangcal ka khueh tih a thoelh uh vaengah khopuei he khosuen khohnin lamloh manghai taengah lai a loh uh. A khuiah tloelhnah neh caemrhal a puek te a hmuh uh.
So then I ordered [my officials] to search the records. I have found out that [it is true that] the people of that city have always revolted against their rulers, and that the city is full of people who have rebelled and caused trouble.
20 Manghai tlungluen rhoek khaw Jerusalem ah om uh tih sok paem boeih te a hung uh. Mangmu, hlang mangmu neh cawn khaw amih taengah ana paek uh coeng.
Powerful kings have ruled in Jerusalem, and they have also ruled over the whole province west of the [Euphrates] River. [The people in that province were] paying all kinds of taxes to those kings.
21 Hlang rhoek he paa sak ham hlangcal ka khueh coeng. Kai lamloh hlangcal a om hlan ah khopuei te thung uh boel saeh.
So you must command that the people must stop rebuilding the city. Only if I tell them [that they may rebuild it] will they be allowed to continue.
22 He dongah a saii ham te dalrhanah a om khaw ngaithuen uh. Balae tih manghai vaitah sak ham pocinah a pungtai mai eh.
Do this immediately [LIT], because I do not want those people to do anything to harm the things/area about which I am concerned.”
23 Manghai Artaxerxes kah ca a toeng te Rehum, cadaek Shimshai neh a hui rhoek taengah a tae van neh tokrhat la Jerusalem kah Yahudi taengla cet uh tih amih te thadueng neh kutrham neh a paa sak uh.
[Messengers took] that letter to Rehum and Shimshai and their colleagues and read it to them. Then Rehum and the others went quickly to Jerusalem, and they forced the Jews to stop [rebuilding the city wall].
24 Jerusalem Pathen im kah imsak te paa tangloeng tih Persia manghai Darius ram kah kum bae hil paa van.
The result was that the Jews stopped rebuilding the temple. They did not do any more work to rebuild the temple until Darius became the King of Persia.
